Wanted: Rangers FC. Crime: Killing a Perfectly Good Football Match
By: Ted | April 24th, 2008Google Search Results
Today in Glasgow, Rangers FC and Fiorentina drew nil-nil in the first leg of their UEFA Cup match. Fiorentina did the best they could, considering they were on the road. They launched a number of attacks (of various levels of effectiveness) and generally dominated possession. Rangers, however, (who, as the FSC announcers were constantly reminding us, were hit by the injury bug) sat 10 or 11 men behind the ball and defended the hell out of everything. They looked occasionally dangerous on the counter, but generally Rangers were playing for the nil draw. Mission accomplished, guys.
I do not have my usual match report this week. Normally I take careful notes of each game Fiorentina play, but the 2:30pm start time (here in the states) combined with the importance of the match, led me to watch the game online while at work. I’m glad I saw it live, but when you do that you can’t take much in the way of notes.
Aside from the aesthetics of the game, I have mixed feelings. Obviously a nil-draw is not the worst thing in the world when your team is on the road, but I really, really wanted an away goal. Fiorentina had their chances (their best was probably Mutu’s free kick in the 2nd half, from a spot close to where he scored in the second leg of the PSV match) but they could never put the ball in the net.
I am especially wary because of the smackdown the Viola laid down on PSV in the away leg. Even a fluke away goal will cost the Viola dear next week, so Fiorentina must play flawless defense while getting a goal to win the game. There’s no question that the Viola play better at home, and I do believe they now hold the advantage, but I can guarantee you that I will spend the next seven days worrying about nothing but away goals.
I’ll have more reaction from the match tomorrow, but for tonight I go to bed with mixed feelings; satisfaction with the draw combined with worry over the lack of an away goal. Mostly, however, I’m just a little ticked that a game I’ve looked forward to all week turned into such a slog. Thanks, Rangers.
One last thing: I checked the offside.com to see what the Rangers’ blogger had to say about the match before I realized: we don’t have one. C’mon, guys. We don’t have one Rangers’ fan who wants to write about their team?
I’ll be back tomorrow.
Category: Team News
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Comments
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Blogging about the Rangers would involve watching them, and since calling their playing style conservative is a bit of an understatement, I understand why there is not a line to take that job.
Posted from
Canada
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We had a Rangers blogger, but he disappeared a while back, right about the time his team actually started pulling ahead in the league. I wish we could get one, because I end up covering a lot of Rangers stuff on the Scotland blog and I don’t want to, since I don’t really much like them.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
I was listening to the last few minutes of the match on the BBC (Radio 5), and the Scottish commentators were blaming Fiorentina for not playing expansively enough.
I would have thought Fiorentina would be happy with the result. Their fate is really in their hands. Win and advance. Whereas the Rangers’ players are under pressure to do something they couldn’t manage yesterday - to score.
Forza Viola!
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Maybe the guy who was blogging on them fell asleep and has yet to wake up. The game was better on double-speed (I tivo-ed it) and not so painful to watch. Fiorentina actually looked pretty dangerous.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Although rangers did play a defensive game there is no doubt that this was a good result concidering our circumstances that are part and parcel of football and we accept that. However people critisize our method of play but it is exactly the correct way for us to play’ all teams play to there strenths and ours is in defence at the moment. While other teams at this stage of the competition enjoy a plethera of top players we only have a couple of those in the team. yes we can be dangerous on the counter so that is our game plan smash and grab some call it but it is working for us so far. But every so often we can also create a bit of magic and to that end i think we may just do it. Also i would like to point out to those who are not aware that this is the first season together for a team that has no pedigree and is phase 1 of the rebuilding of Rangers.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Our team at Ibrox was missing arguably our two most influential players, Barry Ferguson our captain, and Kevin Thomson, both of whom drive the team forward.
Our squad was so depleted with injuries and suspensions that we went into that game with a right wingback in Steven Whittaker playing left midfield, a centre half in Christian Dailly playing central mid, and a striker in Nacho Novo playing on the right of midfield.
To be honest I think every Rangers fan just wanted to get out of that game without losing an away goal, I personally would have taken a 0-0 result before the match if offered.
The suspensions and injuries dictated the way we approached the game, but make no mistake about it, we will be a different team in Florence.
Posted from
United Kingdom
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